Sept. 22, 2015

PENNSYLVANIA

Pittsburgh: Gas prices continue to fall

Pittsburgh-area gas prices fell nearly six cents from last week and dropped the average to $2.45 a gallon. The price-tracking website GasBuddy predicted that the national average will fall below the $2 per gallon mark by the end of the year.

Pittsburgh: PNC won’t work with medical marijuana enterprises

PNC Financial Services Group is one of a number of big banks refusing to work with or accept funds from any cannabis-related business. Although marijuana use is not legal in the state, PNC has branches in states that have legalized it for medical use such as Maryland and New Jersey.

Harrisburg: Kane’s law license temporarily suspended

The Supreme Court’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel temporarily suspended Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s law license Monday. The order does not mean she is removed from office, only that she cannot practice law.

Canonsburg: Dredging project to begin at Canonsburg Lake

Work on a multimillion dollar dredging project is set to begin in Washington County at Canonsburg Lake after years of debris receded its shorelines. The project, stalled for 20 months while the Canonsburg Lake Restoration and Improvement Committee waited for a permit, will remove silt from the lake and install a filter.

Lehigh: Parkland installs exterior school bus cameras

Parkland School District equiped eight of its school busses with cameras that could catch other drivers violating school bus passing laws. The technology is still in the testing stages but it could increase citations and reduce the number of violations by drivers.

NATIONAL

‘Baby Doe’ mom held on $1 million bond

A Massachusetts judge ordered Rachelle Bond, mother of “Baby Doe” Bella Bond, to be held on a $1 million bond and her boyfriend to be held without bail. Bond’s boyfriend, Michael McCarthy, is charged with killing Bella after her body was found on the shore of Boston Harbor Island in June.

Peanut exec in salmonella case potentially faces life in prison

Stewart Parnell, a former executive of Peanut Corporation of America, convicted of 71 counts including conspiracy, obstruction of justice and introduction of adulterated food in September 2014, could get life in prison. A salmonella outbreak caused nine deaths and affected at least 714 more.

Two Americans among hostages freed from Yemen

Two Americans were freed Sunday, along with a British Citizen and three Saudis, after months of captivity by Yemeni rebels. American officials are still working on details on what led up to the surprise release.

Clinton’s lead climbs

Hillary Clinton is backed by 42 percent of voters in the Democratic presidential primary race compared to Bernie Sander’s 24 percent and Joe Biden’s 22 percent, according to a CNN poll. Those numbers are up from her percentage in early September.

IN OTHER NEWS

Viola Davis is first black woman to win best drama series award

Viola Davis won the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series Sunday night at the 2015 Emmy Awards for her role in “How to Get Away With Murder.” She acknowledged that in her acceptance speech and quoted Harriet Tubman.

The daily report was compiled by Christine Manganas, a PublicSource intern. You can reach her with questions or suggestions at cmanganas@publicsource.org.

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After three fatalities in the last week, including a woman who was killed in a bicycle-car accident in the Oakland area, Bike Pittsburgh is petitioning for immediate safety changes. The group is asking for adjustments such as speed bumps, educational programs and traffic enforcement so bikers and motorists can better share the road.